To skip lectures where they don't take attendance?

[cryini]

I'm struggling with my mental health at the moment. I'm doing an NHS course which has lectures and seminars 9-4 4 days a week. I've been able to keep up with all of my assignments and tests, but since coming back from Christmas have been really struggling with attending all of the lectures and seminars, I find them overwhelming and struggle to concentrate. I walk out of lectures feeling so foggy headed with a headache.

I have another degree and I would skip nearly all of my lectures, I still got a first, so I'm used to teaching myself. I can usually get through a 2 hour lecture in around 30-40 minutes.

I know I am BU to skip lectures. I was supposed to be at university today and I made sure to prepare everything last night like laying out my clothes, filling up my water bottle. I went to bed early. But I then wake up with such a horrible feeling of dread and anxiety that I can't get myself out of bed. I'm then racked with guilt and feel so inadequate and embarrassed.

I don't know whether to drop out but I have no back up career plans. I don't know whether to just carry on trying my best, it's only 6 weeks until the Easter break and then things will get easier. I then have a long (3 month) summer break I can try and pull myself together during. Idk

I’m a student too OP. Don’t go to them. I watch them all online at my own pace and (although I get many shitty emails) I really don’t care. I gain nothing from spending 3 hours a day travelling to my uni when I can watch the livestreams anyway. Prioritise your mental health and only go to things that are compulsory.

However I must add if it’s only taking you 30-40 minutes to get through a 2 hour lecture I think you may be missing some detail. Yes take it at your own pace but make sure your notes are detailed enough.

it will be getting worse the more you skip. It definitely won’t make you feel better and you will have a lot to catch up on which will add to the pressure.

try and go and focus and get some professional help for your anxiety.

I’d give yourself permission not to go in if you’re feeling that way and do what works for you.

You have find the balance of what works for you whilst keeping you on track. If you can continue to perform well without attending the lectures and there are no gaps in your knowledge because of it, do it. I was in very much the same position when I was at university, I'd guilt myself into going to lectures even though I found the thought of going induced sheer panic, and then guilt trip myself even more when I didn't go. When I was there I'd zone out. Everyone has different learning styles/different needs, so the straightforward approach of sitting in a lecture hall for two hours isn't going to work for 100% of students. If you've found a way of learning that works for you, go for it.

Speak to student support services. Missing lectures for something like sociology or English is very different from missing lectures for a clinical profession. It’s not just the theoretical learning which is taking place.

Student support will help you to work out what you need to prioritize and put reasonable adjustments in place.

You need to deal with your anxiety — lecture skipping is only a symptom, but if you’re considering dropping out despite being on a serious career path because attending lectures is stressing you out and making you unwell, how will you deal with the demands of a FT job? Get some help asap. Start with your tutor, or go direct to student support services?

I'm a lecturer and we get plenty of students who skip lectures no matter what we try, but the ones who come do tend to be the ones who do best.

Sounds like you need to focus on getting healthy, so by all means skip lectures if it helps but we do find it can snowball with students who are struggling so please prioritise your health.

If you haven't already, please contact your student support services - in my institution we would be advising you to contact the disability office to get mitigations in place.

The thing is that this is not how your anxiety will improve. You are validating it by avoiding the things that make you anxious therefore feeding the anxiety. It doesn't even make you feel any better really especially not long term. Get to the lectures, force yourself.

Exactly this. You might teach yourself enough to pass the course, but that won't make you a good practitioner and with this level of anxiety it's unlikely you'll be able to do the job. You need treatment for your anxiety. Avoiding lectures isn't helping you.